May 12, 2016
Rescuing a Script from Extinction
After trending toward extinction for decades, Vietnam’s ancient script, Chữ Nôm, now has a healthier outlook. With a few strokes on the keyboard, anyone with a computer can write in Nôm. The character 字, for instance, represents the Nôm word for “word.” NC State English professor John Balaban has helped lead many of the developments that kickstarted Nôm’s recovery, turning an endangered calligraphic way of writing into a preserved tradition.
